


Legend of the Mansion

by dejiko001



Category: Demashitaa! Powerpuff Girls Z
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/M, Mystery, On Hiatus, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-02-08
Updated: 2014-07-19
Packaged: 2021-02-22 22:34:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23601439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dejiko001/pseuds/dejiko001
Summary: On the outskirts of Tokyo City is a mansion. No one dares to enter its premises because of a rumor saying anyone that does so will never be heard from again. Because of a bet, Momoko, Miyako, and Kaoru venture inside the mansion, but they get separated and try to regroup. Neither of them knew what laid ahead, but they knew one fact: things are never what they seem.
Relationships: Akatsutsumi Momoko/Brick, Boomer/Goutokuji Miyako, Butch/Matsubara Kaoru
Kudos: 2





	1. The Rumor

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:** I don't own _Demashitaa! Powerpuff Girls Z_ and any of its characters, _Ao Oni_ 's mansion layout and all its puzzles, and _Corpse Party_ 's concept of dimensions used in this fanfic.
> 
>  **Inspiration:** _Ao Oni_ and _Corpse Party_.
> 
>  **AO3 Note:** Chapters 1–5 were originally posted on FanFiction.Net (FFN). Chapters 6 and above are cross-posted on FFN and AO3.
> 
>  **A/N:** Because this is inspired by _Ao Oni_ and _Corpse Party_ , this is M-rated. The reason? It's simple: there will be dark/suggestive-related themes later on to the point where you will question my sanity as an author, a fangirl, or maybe even both. (Well, that, and the fact that there's also really strong language.) If at any point you feel offended, then please just leave.
> 
> Nonetheless, I wanted to attempt something else for the RGB fandom. I'm not sure if many of you will like this fanfic, but I hope you guys appreciate it, anyway.

A rumor.

A mere rumor caused this all.

And yet, it was this same rumor that intrigued so many people.

Every person had the same thought: _Is this true?_ Their burning curiosity continued to eat away, filling their heads with questions galore. They all started off with one: even if the rumor was false, how did it start, anyway?

In the end, no one knew how this rumor spread.

Besides, even if they did, no one lived long enough to tell the tale.

* * *

"You two didn't have to come along, you know."

"What?! Kaoru, do you really think I'd let you go in alone?!"

"Why not? You run away whenever we go into a haunted house, don't you?"

A slight pause. "T-That's not the point!"

"Now, now, you two, don't start arguing."

"But, _Miyako_ —"

"That is _disgusting_ , Momoko."

"What?! How?!"

"The way you said her name—"

"Are we going to enter or not?"

At once, all bickering ceased.

Three 16-year-old girls, named Momoko Akatsutsumi, Miyako Gotokuji, and Kaoru Matsubara, stood a fair distance away from the mansion, each adorning their school uniform.

Miyako was a beautiful light blue-eyed blonde. Her hair was in curled pigtails that reached to her shoulders. She had porcelain-like skin that matched her blonde hair.

Momoko had her red hair tied into a high ponytail that cascaded all the way down to her bottom. A silk red ribbon was used to tie her hair up instead of a hairband. Her eyes were pink while her skin was peach.

Kaoru had her short black hair going in all sorts of directions, complementing her olive skin and making her light green eyes stand out further.

Momoko and Miyako wore their school's female uniform, which consisted of a tucked-in short-sleeved white blouse, its collar lying flat on their clavicle; a black skirt that reached halfway above their kneecaps; and a small and thin black ribbon tied underneath the collar, as though it was a necktie.

Kaoru, on the other hand, adorned their school's male uniform, which was a white tucked-in long-sleeved shirt and pair of black slacks. The sleeves of her shirt were rolled just above her elbows, and the collar of her shirt popped upward. Although Momoko and Miyako had buttoned up their blouses to the collar, Kaoru didn't button a few of the top ones, leaving it wide open. Compared to her two friends, her appearance came off as more masculine than feminine.

"You two don't have to go with me, you know," Kaoru stated. "Nothing's going to happen to me—"

"Kaoru," Momoko began, "do you not watch horror movies? They _always_ start out like this! It's better to go in a group than alone!"

Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"Wait, why did you want to come here, anyway?"

"Because that damn Urawa—"

"Have you been talking to Natsuki again?!"

"Oh, my fucking _God_ , Momoko. How many times do I have to tell you that I'm only friends with that asshole?!"

"Well, out of every boy that you're the closest to, it's Natsuki—"

"That doesn't mean I see him as a God damn love interest!"

Momoko pouted as she narrowed her eyes at Kaoru. "But out of every girl that Natsuki's closest to, it's you."

"Does it look like I give a damn?" Kaoru replied, glaring at Momoko. "The boy is an _asshole._ Have you not seen how he treats you and everyone else—"

"Natsuki is _amazing_ , okay?!"

Kaoru scoffed. "You only say that because he's the so-called 'hottest' guy in school."

"Because he _is!_ He's good at sports, smart, and good-looking—"

"Yeah, to you and his fangirls. He's an arrogant _asshole_ , Momoko, and quite frankly, he's lucky I haven't kicked his ass yet."

"I don't care! Natsuki is Natsuki, and I'll still like him, anyway!"

Kaoru shook her head. "You're fucking blind. Out of all of the assholes you could've fallen for, it just _had_ to be him."

While Momoko and Kaoru continued to bicker, Miyako stood at the entrance of the mansion and stared at the large brown doors for a while, tilting her head as she began to examine its outward appearance.

The doors were worn out, as expected because of how old this mansion was, but it seemed rather sturdy. It wasn't just the doors. The rest of the mansion itself seemed worn out as well. Its black bricks were almost graying, and clumps of dirt clung to some lower parts of the walls. The paint on the roof tiles was beginning to peel off, showing its white, but dirty surface underneath. The windows seemed as clear as ever, except that they were all covered by curtains from within, so any hope of peering inside of the mansion was completely lost.

"Natsuki is mine!" Momoko cried.

"God damn it, Momoko!" Kaoru shouted. "I said that I don't care! If you want him that badly, then be my guest!"

"But it's obvious that he's—"

"How many _fucking_ times do I have to say that he's just a _friend?!_ There is no way in hell he's interested in me, and there's no way I'll ever be interested in an asshole like him!"

Miyako continued to ignore the bickering behind her and blinked a couple of times before walking up towards the door and placing her hand on the knob. Her eyes widened after realizing that the knob could be turned. "Momoko. Kaoru."

Momoko and Kaoru ceased their bickering as they turned their heads to Miyako and simultaneously asked, "What?"

"The doors are unlocked."

Momoko and Kaoru blinked a couple of times before glancing at each other.

"Well, I'm not surprised," Kaoru stated before sighing. "No one lives in this damn mansion, anyway—"

" _Wrong!_ Obviously, you haven't heard the rumor about this mansion!" Momoko exclaimed, pouting slightly before her eyes overcame with slight fear.

"Rumors are just rumors," Kaoru replied, rolling her eyes. "Like I said earlier, you guys don't have to come with me. I'll be fine."

"No way we're letting you go in alone! What if something happens to you?!"

"Oh, for crying out loud, I _just_ said—"

"Momoko has a point, Kaoru," Miyako interrupted. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to venture inside alone."

"See?! Miyako agrees with me!" Momoko exclaimed, jumping up and down. "It's better to go in as a group!"

Kaoru sighed bitterly. "All right. But for the record, blame Urawa for this."

"What?! Why Natsuki?!"

"Because he's the one that made a bet with me. My end of the bargain was going into this damn mansion."

"And if you won?"

Kaoru stared at Momoko for a bit as she hesitated before replying, "He'd have to go out with you on a date—"

Momoko then leaped onto Kaoru, hugging her tightly.

"What the hell, Momoko?!" Kaoru exclaimed, already feeling her "death hug" take effect as she struggled for air.

"Oh, my God, I take back _everything_ I said earlier!" Momoko exclaimed. "Thank you _so much_ , Kaoru! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you—"

" _Whatever!_ " Kaoru managed to say. "Just…let me go!"

Momoko complied, sending Kaoru a huge smile.

Kaoru panted to catch her breath and sent a small glare. "Get your damn ass into the mansion already."

Momoko pouted before she complied. Miyako, on the other hand, giggled before she headed inside as well.

Kaoru groaned before she entered the mansion.

Momoko, Miyako, and Kaoru stood in astonishment at how the inside of the mansion seemed… _normal._ They were in a hallway that intersected with other pathways. Behind them was the entrance they just went through. In front of them, just a few meters away, was a door. Whatever was behind it, they didn't have a clue. Next to it was a staircase that led upstairs to a second floor. To their right and left, the hallways led to some destination, but they were too far away to determine where each of the pathways would lead.

"Well, this is one hell of a disappointment," Kaoru stated, frowning. "I thought that there would be at least _something_ interesting."

"I already don't like this atmosphere…" Momoko stated softly, shuddering. "Can we leave now?"

"What the hell, Momoko? We just came in!"

"I know, but—"

"Um, Kaoru?" Miyako interrupted.

Kaoru turned her head, finding that Miyako had a nervous look on her face, and frowned. "Yeah, Miyako?"

"Did you…close the door?"

"No. Why?"

Miyako hesitated before pointing behind her.

Kaoru's eyes went wide for a second before she turned around and found that the doors of the entrance were completely closed.

"See?!" Momoko exclaimed. Her eyes were completely wide as she began panicking. "Oh, my God, we're going to _die_ —"

"Shut up, Momoko! You're exaggerating the damn situation!" Kaoru yelled, glaring at her. She then quickly stomped over to the door and began turning both of the doorknobs to try opening them, which refused to turn no matter how much effort she put. After a couple of failed attempts, Kaoru grunted in frustration and turned to Momoko and Miyako before shaking her head. "It looks like we'll have to find another way out."

"Maybe we can try going out one of the windows?" Miyako asked.

"Do we even know if these windows open, though?!" Momoko exclaimed.

"Stop shouting, Momoko!" Kaoru exclaimed. "The worst thing to do in a situation like this is to panic, and you're doing exactly just that, so just shut up and calm down!"

"Well, you're yelling at me!"

"Says the girl who's panicking and screaming her ass off!"

"You two, stop shouting, and let's try to find a way out of here!" Miyako yelled, her stern tone coming through.

Momoko and Kaoru flinched.

"Honestly!" Miyako huffed softly before walking over to the nearest window. She moved the curtains aside before blinking a couple of times. Her eyes grew wide in realization before she turned to the other two.

"Well?" Kaoru asked, raising an eyebrow.

"This window doesn't have a switch."

"What?!"

At once, Momoko ran towards another window, moved the curtains aside, and leaned towards the glass. "Same here!"

Miyako then checked the other windows, only to find that it was the same result: none of them had a switch.

"We're going to _die_ —"

"Momoko, shut the hell up, and let me _think_ , for Christ's sake!" Kaoru exclaimed, narrowing her eyes. After sighing bitterly, she glanced at the set of stairs and added, "All right. How about we—"

_Crash!_

They all flinched at the sound.

"What the hell?" Kaoru muttered.

"It sounded like something made out of glass shattered…" Miyako stated, frowning as a look of worry appeared on her face.

"I'll go check it out, then—"

" _No!_ We're going together as a group!" Momoko suddenly exclaimed. "This happens in horror movies all of the time! The group separates, and one by one, _they all die!_ "

Kaoru blankly stared at Momoko for a few seconds. "You need to lay off those movies."

"But, they're so addicting—"

"And anything else related to shoujo manga, shoujo anime, and all of those damn Korean dramas—"

"Hey! I watch Japanese ones, too—"

"Okay, you two, that's enough bickering for now," Miyako interrupted, rubbing her temples. "How about we go find out what happened?"

Momoko and Kaoru nodded their heads, and they walked down the eastern hallway. Halfway down, they came across a black door on their left.

"Hey, there's a door here," Kaoru stated, frowning.

"Maybe we can open it?" Miyako inquired, slightly tilting her head.

"Don't open it! Who knows what'll come out?" Momoko exclaimed, her eyes filled with fear.

Kaoru sighed in exasperation at Momoko's expression and walked over to the door. At once, she tried turning the knob, but it wouldn't turn. "It won't open."

Miyako then squinted before pointing at the doorknob. "Kaoru, look. There's a keyhole."

"Huh. So, I guess it's locked."

"I guess that means we'll have to find the key."

"Need I remind you that _we don't know what's in there!_ " Momoko exclaimed, flailing her arms about.

"You know what, Momoko?" Kaoru inquired. "I think you need to lay off on believing rumors as well."

"But rumors always start _somewhere_ —"

"That doesn't mean that they're true. Who the hell believes in the supernatural nowadays, anyway?"

At once, Momoko cleared her voice, glaring at her as she tapped her foot.

Kaoru blinked and then sent her a deadpan look. "Oh, right, you, who finds vampires utterly 'sexy—'"

"They _are_ , though!"

"They're _dead_ , Momoko. Do you want to have sex with a corpse? Oh, wait, you can't have sex with them, anyway, because _they can't get boners!_ "

Miyako sighed in exasperation as she hung her head, pulling her two friends by their hands down the hallway while they continued to bicker.

"Kaoru, you just don't understand what it's like to be in the presence of someone so hot—"

"Yeah, because I see no point in going gaga over some _boy_ —"

"Not even if he was a hot vampire?"

"Hell no! That's _disgusting!_ Haven't you ever heard of necrophilia?!"

"We're here," Miyako interrupted before the two could pointlessly continue bickering. "It looks like this is the kitchen?"

"Make that living room as well," Kaoru added as she walked over to two sets of couches and a small mini table in between the sets of furniture. She then sat down comfortably, leaning back against the pillows of the couch. "You know, this couch isn't so bad. It's pretty comfy."

"For a mansion, the furniture is rather simplistic," Miyako added, pondering as she paced slowly around the room as she glanced at the furniture and the carpet. "The carpet looks like it's been kept in good condition, too."

"Maybe someone lives here?" Kaoru inquired as she leaned her head back to stare at the ceiling lights. "I mean, it would explain why the place is lit up in the first place."

"I don't think so."

Kaoru raised an eyebrow at Miyako. "What makes you say that?"

"This mansion looks old, so there's a high possibility that the mayor assigned a caretaker—maybe even more than one. I can't imagine just one person taking care of this place all by themselves…"

"True. Wait, does he even know about this place?"

Miyako shrugged in response as she then walked over to the wall, wondering why the walls were kept so clean because they were completely white—no speck of dirt seen. She frowned while raising an eyebrow as she continued to examine the wall.

Kaoru, on the other hand, was still sitting on the couch and staring at the ceiling lights.

Meanwhile, Momoko looked around before finding a gleaming object near the counter. She squinted her eyes before smiling and walking over. Leaning down, she found that the item was none other than a plate smashed into pieces. Slowly, she reached for one of the shards and held it up before turning around. "Hey—"

_Zzt!_

Pitch black.

It was utterly pitch black.

Momoko gulped softly before calling out softly, "Um, Miyako? Kaoru? Are you there?"

No response.

She gulped softly once more before whispering to herself, "Oh, why do things like this have to happen now of all times?" Pausing, she then added, "Calm down, Momoko. It's probably just…really bad lighting. Yeah. That's it. The lights will eventually come back on."

As if on cue, the lights switched back on, and for that, Momoko was grateful.

There was only one downside to this situation, though.

She was all alone.


	2. The Red-Eyed Jerk

Momoko began to whimper as she held onto the shard against her chest, clutching it as if for dear life.

"Everything's going to be okay, Momoko," she whispered before glancing around and taking a step forward. "Everything's going to be okay… Just call them, and then, we can find our way out of here."

As she left the room, she took out her cell phone. Hesitating, she continued to walk down the hallway as she looked at it. Her face paled immediately.

No signal.

She opened her mouth, but instead of words formulating, she bit her lip and gulped softly. Eventually, she reached the intersection and began to wonder what to do next. The entrance doors and the door she passed just now were locked. Momoko continued to stare at the entrance doors before turning to her right, which was the other hallway that led somewhere else.

Momoko sighed and clutched the shard tightly even more before whispering, "I'll be okay. I'll be okay. I'll be okay."

She repeated that phrase until she finally reached the end of the hallway, which revealed to have two doors: one that was at the very end in her direction, and the other on the right. Just as soon as she stepped forward, she saw a _shadow_ —a moving shadow of some unknown _figure._

Her eyes widened, and she dropped her shard to cover her mouth.

The shard broke into tinier pieces as soon as it made contact with the floor, the shattering sound echoing throughout the hallway.

Momoko's eyes grew even wider, and she ran away.

Whatever that unknown figure was, she didn't know, but she had _no_ intention of finding out.

Upon reaching the intersection, she ran up the stairs, not looking back. For all she knew, the figure probably heard, and it was chasing after her at this very moment. With that thought in mind, she ran inside the room on the right once she was at the top of the stairs, inwardly thanked the heavens that it was unlocked, closed the door, and had her back against it and her hand against the doorknob.

Momoko continued to pant, catching her breath as she slowly began to slide down against the door—until she saw that there was something shining in the distance. She narrowed her eyes as she slowly regained her balance and breath before walking over to the desk. Kneeling down, she examined closely, and she couldn't help but blink her eyes in astonishment.

"A key?" she asked out loud. "What's a key doing here?"

She reached to pick it up, but she stopped midway.

What if this key led to her demise? She always watched horror movies where the characters would die because they did something stupid, and it'd end up with her yelling at those same characters for being dumb enough to do something like that in the first place.

She frowned as she began to contemplate. What if this key was her ticket out of this mansion or finding Miyako and Kaoru?

With that thought in mind, she grabbed the key and held it up for her to examine it even closer. Upon closer inspection, she narrowed her eyes at its label. "'Library…key?'" She blinked, confused that this mansion even had a library. "Well, it looks like I'll have to find the library… Although, I doubt it'll help me get out of this place."

Nonetheless, she headed for the door and poked her head out to make sure that the coast was clear. She sighed in relief, left the room, and began walking down the stairs as she began to ponder where this library was. It was only then that she recalled something. She, Miyako, and Kaoru encountered a door earlier near the kitchen and living room.

"Wait, maybe this is the key to that door…" she stated softly while staring at the key. After a few seconds, she resisted the urge to whimper as she recalled the _shadow._ Once she reached the last step, she gulped softly and took a deep breath before heading to her left and down the hallway until she reached the black door that she, Miyako, and Kaoru saw earlier. She hesitated as she stared at the doorknob, but she took another deep breath before slowly bringing the key up and into the keyhole. Her face paled upon seeing that it had fit perfectly. Once she turned it, she knew that she couldn't go back.

She slowly opened the door and gently closed it behind her, the click of the door finally shutting barely heard.

The fact that the room was dark, yet dimly lit by the lights on the ceiling didn't help that queasy feeling she had inside of her. Part of her was already inwardly screaming for her to get out, but her curiosity got the best of her once she heard the faint sound of shuffling.

She knew that she shouldn't go around the corner. She knew that. This always happened in horror movies that she watched, and she definitely didn't want to be one of those people that did something stupid that resulted in their death.

After recalling those moments, she pursed her lips, deciding to stay silent, and tip-toed around the bookcases and shelves. Everywhere she looked, hundreds of books were about, and each one was set nicely and orderly on those very shelves.

She heard the sound of shuffling again, only this time much louder. Just as she was about to turn around the corner to find the source, she heard a loud groan—a groan that was loud enough to indicate that whoever made it wasn't _human._

Momoko couldn't help but stand utterly still. She began to back away slowly—until she accidentally bumped into a bookshelf. At once, a pile of books fell onto the floor, making a loud noise in the process.

She couldn't help but softly squeak and cover her mouth—only to find that she was too late.

The figure that was supposedly around the corner already noticed her presence. It was standing a mere distance away as it stood, continuing to stare directly at her.

Momoko couldn't help but tremble underneath its gaze.

The figure was none other than a deformed large blob, emitting dark particles all around it. Its white eyes were blank and slanted. None of its other body parts could be seen, but as Momoko continued to tremble, its form changed from a blob to an actual human-like, yet monstrous figure. It grew slender arms and legs, and its hands and fingers looked more like claws. Its mouth was still nowhere to be seen—until it smiled at her, revealing its white canine teeth.

Momoko instinctively _ran._ She knew it was behind her because it continued to groan, as if calling out to her.

Not wanting to look back, she ran left and right at each intersection. She didn't realize that the library was _this_ maze-like. Bookshelves were everywhere, and if they didn't block her way, then the large piles of books she occasionally passed by definitely did. Part of her inwardly screamed that she had no idea where she was going and that at one point, she was going to reach a dead end.

Unfortunately, that part of her jinxed her. Her feet screeched to a halt upon countering a dead end. Her eyes grew wide as she tried to find a way out, but there was no use.

The groans from the monster snapped her back from her panicking. She turned around to find that it was nearing the corner.

She bit her lip and closed her eyes, not knowing what to do—until she was suddenly pulled aside into a narrow space between the bookshelves, causing her to yelp softly. Before she could realize what was happening, she felt herself pressed against someone and their hand on her mouth.

Momoko couldn't help but panic even more at this. She had just escaped from that _monster_ , and now, she ended up in another bad situation. For all she knew, this person probably wanted to kill her as well!

"Scream, and you'll give our position away," they whispered.

Momoko squinted, trying to see who it was in the dark. The only clue she could identify them as was their masculine, deep voice.

Eventually, she heard the monster come towards the dead end, causing her breathing to hitch.

The monster gave a low groan. Judging by the lighting and its shadow, it transformed back into a blob and left, its squishes echoing until it was far away.

"It looks like the coast is clear," the person pressed against her whispered.

Momoko realized then that because their mouth was also near her ear, and she couldn't help but shudder softly.

"You cold?"

"N-No," Momoko managed to say.

"All right, then."

Momoko couldn't bring herself to respond. She didn't even know who this person was, for crying out loud!

"You mind?"

"W-What?"

"You can get out now, you know," they replied dryly.

Momoko flinched, and somehow, she managed to get herself out of the narrow space. She then patted her uniform, trying to fix it, and just as she turned around to face them, her eyes widened.

This person— _guy_ , actually, who looked like he was her age—had _red_ eyes, which complemented his tan skin and copper hair that reached his shoulders. He adorned a red hoodie, faded black jeans, white sneakers that each had three red stripes on the sides, and a red cap placed backward on his head with some of his bangs poking out of its hole.

Momoko couldn't help but stare at him, and upon closer inspection, she noticed a tiny scar on the right side of his jawline.

He stared back before turning the other way and walking away from her.

"H-Hey—"

"Unless you want that monster to find you again, I suggest not raising your voice," he replied coolly.

Momoko frowned and glared at him. Before she could retort, she heard the familiar groan coming closer. She flinched and instinctively ran toward him, clinging onto him for dear life. Momoko heard him curse under his breath before he pulled her by the hand, and they began running.

The groaning became louder, indicating that the monster was now pursuing them.

Momoko couldn't help but panic inwardly. She could hear her heart beating directly in her ear. Left, right, left, right. The maze in the library felt like it went on forever until they finally arrived at the entrance.

They ran out the door, and the red-eyed guy immediately slammed the door shut, having his back against the wall as the monster began to pound away while Momoko took out the key and locked the door.

The pounding subsided, and Momoko slid down against the wall before panting in relief. She slowly looked at the red-eyed guy, who was now leaning calmly against the door and had his eyes closed. Once he opened his eyes, Momoko noticed that he was actually handsome—probably the best good-looking guy she had ever seen in her entire life so far.

Momoko realized that she had been staring at him when they both made eye contact, and she looked at the floor in embarrassment. After a few seconds, she heard him sigh before hearing his footsteps begin to fade. When she looked back up, she found that he was already walking away from her.

"H-Hey!" Momoko exclaimed as she got up and ran towards him.

He stopped at the very corner of the intersection, turned his body to look at her, and continued to stare at her with a raised eyebrow.

Momoko hesitated as she looked down at the floor before muttering softly, "D-Don't leave me here…"

"Why shouldn't I?"

Momoko snapped her head back up at him with her eyes completely wide.

"I don't see any point in having a loudmouth girl like you around me."

Momoko tried to resist dropping her jaw as she couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. Even though he may be the most handsome guy she had ever seen, he definitely ruined any idea of a "knight in shining armor" just now with that attitude.

"Not to mention that you were clumsy enough to cause some noise to attract that monster's attention."

Momoko frowned in response.

"Although, I guess I do have to thank you. You diverted its attention long enough for me to get the key."

Momoko furrowed her brow. "Key? What key?"

He sighed before taking out a key from the pocket of his hoodie. "It was on the desk that was near that monster. I couldn't go in there headfirst unless I wanted to die—"

"So, you're saying that you let _me_ be the bait instead?!"

"Hey, you weren't part of my plan in the first place. I didn't even know you were there."

Momoko continued to inwardly fume as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"I had a plan, but since you coincidentally showed up, I went to get the key and quickly hid. Then I saw you, so I figured I may as well save you." He smirked, as though to mock her. "So, if anything, _you_ should be thanking _me._ "

Momoko scoffed in response. She never thought she'd come across a guy who had gotten onto her nerves until now.

He snorted before turning around and walking up the stairs.

"W-Wait for me!" Momoko exclaimed, her eyes wide before she ran after him. "Don't tell me you were seriously thinking of leaving me behind!"

"No, I was thinking of coming back for you, despite what I said earlier," he replied sarcastically.

Momoko's jaw finally dropped. "You… You're heartless!"

"I get that a lot."

"And you're a jerk!"

"I also get that a lot," he replied calmly, and just before Momoko could respond, he added, "I don't care what you think about me, but do you mind going off in some other direction?"

"I refuse! It's better to stick together as a group, anyway!"

"Which means unnecessary baggage," he grumbled.

"I heard that!"

He made no response, but when they finally arrived at the second floor, Momoko saw how he was rolling his eyes and grumbling softly to himself.

Momoko frowned as she started to inwardly rant about his rude attitude—until she finally realized that he hadn't yet told her his name. Well, she hadn't given her name to him yet, either, but even so, she at least deserved to know the name of the most handsome guy she had ever seen, especially if they were going to be stuck together for a while. She turned her head only to find that he was standing before a drawing of some sort on the wall, walked to where he was, and stared at the drawing.

She blinked a couple of times. "Um, what is this?"

"A map," he replied.

"I knew that," Momoko replied softly.

He scoffed softly before rolling his eyes.

Momoko glared at him in response. Her face then became a look of confusion when she saw that he was now walking away and heading in a different direction. She glanced back at the door she went in earlier—the same one that led to the room where she found the library key underneath a desk.

"Why are you going that way?" Momoko asked, frowning slightly before she pointed to the door on the right. "That one's unlocked."

He rolled his eyes at her, not bothering to hide his groan, held up the key he mentioned earlier, and then raised both his eyebrows in response.

Momoko's frown deepened. "You don't even know if you're going the right way!"

"Well, in case you didn't notice, there's a third floor."

Momoko blinked before she ran to where he was. After looking to her left, she caught a glimpse of a staircase. She blinked again, feeling dumbfounded.

He then walked to their left and headed up the staircase.

Momoko followed right behind him the entire way. She noticed how there was a door down the hallway and realized that he was already at the door to their left. "Wait."

"What now?" he grumbled, turning around to face her, but he still had one hand on the doorknob.

Momoko walked toward him and began to hesitate, her eyes lingering on the key in his other hand.

He raised an eyebrow. "Well? I don't have all day."

"Your name."

He furrowed his brow. "Huh?"

"What's your name?"

He blinked a couple of times at her before letting out a sigh. "It's rude to ask for someone's name before introducing yourself first, you know."

Momoko resisted the urge to scoff at his attitude, her lips pursing instead. "Fine. In that case, my name is Momoko Akatsutsumi. What's yours?"

He smirked. "Brick. The name's Brick."


	3. The Flirtatious So-Called Gentleman

All Miyako saw was complete darkness.

She blinked a couple of times and leaned back, furrowing her brow when she felt a flat surface. She then tried moving her arms to the side, only to find that they were now pushing against flat surfaces. Afterward, she placed both of her hands above her head, only to find that there was a ceiling.

Miyako grew confused, and she hesitated for a few seconds before she kicked whatever was in front of her. Her eyes widened upon finding that she had been in a closet.

She slowly got out, wondering how in the world she ended up here.

The last time she checked, she was in the kitchen and living room with Momoko and Kaoru. After that, the lights went out, and the next thing she knew, she ended up here in this room. She didn't recall fainting…or ending up in a closet, for that matter.

"Momoko? Kaoru?" she finally called out and paused, waiting—or rather, _hoping_ —for a response, but not a sound was heard. "I can barely see… How am I supposed to—" Her eyes opened with realization. "Of course!"

Miyako held her cell phone up, using it as a flashlight. As she scanned the room, she found a lamp in the center of the room, walked over, and turned it on. Seconds later, she sighed in relief.

The room was now dimly lit, and Miyako could tell where the door was from where she stood. Behind her, she saw the closet she came from, a mostly empty bookshelf next to it, a cabinet in the corner of the room, and a broken dark gray bust next to a tall wooden pedestal near the doorway.

Miyako blinked in surprise as she approached the broken bust, its face barely resembling a middle-aged Caucasian man. She tilted her head, wondering if she had seen it before at museums that she had visited.

Seconds later, she shook her head to snap herself out of her thoughts. Now wasn't the time. She had to find Momoko and Kaoru. With that in mind, she walked past the mess and left the room.

As soon as she closed the door behind her, her face paled.

Wherever she was, she definitely wasn't in the living room or kitchen. For all she knew, she may not even be in the mansion, anymore.

The flooring was a dark shade of violet, dirty carpeting with slight debris scattered everywhere. The walls were a dirty shade of lavender, its paint already peeling off. Parts of the floor itself had holes of varying sizes.

Miyako froze where she stood, wondering if it was even safe to walk on the flooring, but she realized that if _she_ was here, _where_ were Momoko and Kaoru? She couldn't get into contact with them because her cell phone had no signal…

Miyako couldn't help but worry, and she began to cautiously walk forward. She expected the floor to give way, but the floor itself seemed sturdy, she picked up her pace and examined her surroundings once she reached the center of the large room.

There was a set of stairs and three other hallways. One of the hallways led to a door, but she could see from a distance that there wasn't a doorknob anywhere on it, so going there was pointless. Going up and down the stairs would be a hassle if she had missed anything on this floor, and the hallway to her left looked like it led to a dead end from where she stood, so she decided to head straight.

Miyako noticed how the hallway was much narrower than she expected once she passed by a door. Just as soon as she saw that there was another door up ahead and took a step forward, the floor from where she stood suddenly gave way.

The sound of falling debris covered her screams as she fell—onto something rather soft. She opened her eyes to see that more wooden planks and carpeting were about to fall, and before she could instinctively roll out of the way, she had been flipped over and let out a soft squeal at the contact with the hard-wooden flooring, her eyes closed just before she finally heard the sounds of the wooden planks falling.

Miyako opened her eyes when she heard deep groans, only to find them staring right back into a set of blue eyes that belonged to a teenage boy, and her eyes widened. "W-What—"

He groaned softly once more. "Hey, you okay?"

Miyako realized how suggestive their position was and scrambled out underneath him and out of the large pile of debris. She turned around, about to help him out, but by then, he was already standing and stretching his back, dusting himself off.

He had golden blond hair and small freckles on both of his cheeks and adorned a long-sleeved blue sports V-neck shirt with the number zero, its cuffs, ends of the shirt, and the number zero outlined in gold; black jeans; and white sneakers that had two blue stripes on each of the sides.

He moved and kicked the debris aside before approaching her and grinning.

"I-I'm sorry!" Miyako exclaimed and then noticed how confused he looked. "I-I landed on top of you, and you protected me—"

"Hey, hey, hey, no need to apologize," he replied. "It's only natural for a gentleman to save a damsel in distress, right?"

Miyako frowned. "I am _not_ a damsel in distress, but thank you for saving me, anyway."

He whistled softly. "Okay, I guess you don't like that kind of term."

Miyako couldn't help but frown even more at the man. His attitude was starting to annoy her, and she _rarely_ became annoyed at people.

At once, there was a soft groan—a _non-human_ groan.

" _Shit_ ," he muttered.

"What was that?" Miyako replied, her eyes wide.

He quickly grabbed a hold of her wrist, and Miyako felt herself being pulled and dragged up the stairs.

"Wait, what was—"

"Not now!" he yelled. "Just focus on running!"

"But why should—"

Her voice cut off when she saw a black blob slither underneath the door of the room that they were just in. She could make out its slanted white eyes and emitting dark particles as it gazed on her before they reached the top of the stairs.

Miyako already felt the goosebumps on her skin crawl from that gaze alone. Before she could process anything else, she felt the blond teenaged boy pull her hand again toward one of two black doors that looked familiar.

They ran down the familiar hallway, and Miyako looked back, briefly seeing the hole that she had fallen through.

Seconds later, she saw a hybrid of a serpent and dragon had _followed_ them from underneath the door they came from. Its white slanted eyes and black body could be seen from a distance away, and it slithered after them as though it was in a body of water. Finally, it _roared_ , revealing its white large sharp canine teeth.

Miyako's eyes widened when it picked up its pace. "W-What—"

"Not now! Like I said, just focus on running!"

They ran inside the same room that Miyako had been in. Seconds later, she found herself pushed inside the closet she was in earlier. "What are you—"

"Just be quiet," he whispered. "No matter what, keep your mouth shut unless you want to be found by that thing."

Before Miyako could respond, he slammed the closet doors shut.

Miyako felt how dry her throat became at the sudden darkness. When she heard the door to the room open, she froze instantly. She didn't know or understand what was going on at all. Just what happened to the blob, and what exactly was that _monster?_

Miyako could feel her stomach churning as her fears and worries grew. The churning became stronger when she heard the door to the room open again. She flinched when the closet doors opened, but relaxed when she saw it was the blond blue-eyed teenaged boy.

"You okay?" he asked softly, his eyes etched with concern.

Miyako nodded, feeling her body tremble as she willed her body to move but couldn't.

"Need help?"

Miyako nodded in response.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her out of the closet. His embrace gave her a small tingly, electrical feeling, and as soon as he let her down, he grinned again.

Miyako finally managed to frown when she realized that he still had his arms around her.

"What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She sighed softly, wondering if he was unaware of what he just did, and she pulled herself away. "It's nothing. I'm just…"

"Scared? You're not the only one. I was chased by that thing earlier, but I didn't know it could travel through doors like that at all."

Miyako hesitated. "Just…what exactly was that? And what happened to the blob?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. But I do know that the blob and monster you saw chasing us are the same one."

Miyako's eyes widened. "They're what?"

He nodded. "The blob can change its form into that nasty thing you saw."

"It…It looked like a snake—"

"Dragon."

Miyako blinked in surprise.

"That _thing_ , if you ask me, is more like a dragon. It's not like it's some basilisk."

"Maybe, but it didn't have any scales—"

"Its original form is that blob we saw, so it shouldn't have any scales."

Miyako stared at him, wondering why his tone almost seemed…defensive, and she resisted the urge to flinch when he smiled.

Something about his smile told her that she couldn't trust him, despite his seemingly playful, caring personality.

She knew she was scared. Years of being around Momoko and Kaoru taught her to be strong, regardless of the circumstances. At that thought, she averted her gaze to the floor and couldn't help but fret about them—wherever they were.

His sigh broke Miyako out of her train of thoughts. "Hey."

She glanced back at him in response.

"You're okay, though, right?"

Miyako's eyes widened in surprise.

He was the one that was hit by falling wooden pieces and debris, the one that ran out of there with her, and the one that took the damage from all of that on himself to protect her—but _why?_ She knew it was natural to help others, but…

Her eyes widened further. Just where exactly were his wounds from the fall?

Miyako subconsciously reached for her pigtails, feeling that one of them was already loose. She glanced down at her appearance, finding that her skirt was completely dirty and that there were a few scratches on her legs.

She realized then that he had stepped back to get a better look at the scratches. "W-What—"

"You did get hurt. Damn…" He sighed before grabbing her hand gently, urging her to sit back in the closet. When Miyako did so with her legs dangling over the edge, he bent down, examining the scratches.

"Um, look, this is unnecessary," Miyako said, feeling uncomfortable with their proximity. "They're only small scratches, after all. They're not deep." She hesitated and added softly, "If anything, your wounds need to be examined, not mine."

"I'm fine," he replied.

Miyako flinched upon realizing that he actually heard.

"If I was really down for the count, you wouldn't have gotten there alive now, would you?" he replied, grinning as he stood back up. "It looks like your scratches are pretty light, and thankfully, there isn't any blood, but if we manage to find a first aid kit, I can help you patch them up."

Miyako didn't bother to respond. She had always been good at reading people, but she had no idea how to classify him as in her head at all. His easy-going personality with their current predicament only made it much more difficult.

"Aw, don't tell me you're giving me the silent treatment now. I didn't mean to call you a damsel in distress, you know."

"If you didn't mean it, then you wouldn't have said it."

"But I'm pretty sure that you know people who sometimes say things they don't really mean."

Miyako didn't bother to respond again because she knew that he had a point. Both Momoko and Kaoru popped into her head, considering how Kaoru could easily mask her emotions whereas, if pushed, Momoko could do the same and still hold her head up high.

"I mean, I know people who are like that," he said.

"Really? Who?"

"My brothers."

"Oh. Older or younger?"

"They're older than me. I'm the youngest."

"Oh, I see. How old are they?"

He gave her a cheeky grin. "Interested in me already?"

Miyako frowned. "Now is not the time to be flirtatious."

"Well, there's a beautiful girl in front of me, and I can't deny the fact that I'm a bit interested in you," he replied, grinning even more before leaning in toward her.

Miyako backed away a bit from him.

He grinned even more in amusement. "Besides, don't you think that this kind of atmosphere is a lot better than panicking and screaming after being chased by that monster?"

Miyako stared at him in response, her frown still apparent. She knew her share of flirtatious boys, and she could handle and reject them.

But this boy?

Miyako couldn't bring herself to trust him, even though he _did_ save her.

He chuckled as he looked in the other direction. "Cute, beautiful, and calm. I like that in a girl."

Miyako's frown grew. She never thought she could frown this much around a person at all.

"I wonder…" His voice trailed off as he glanced at her and then smiled again.

Miyako felt a chill run down her spine. Her inner voice screamed not to trust him, but she kept quiet, refusing to budge.

"Oh, never mind," he said. "Say, what's your name? I'm Boomer."

Miyako hesitated. Was it really a good idea to tell him? When she glanced at him and saw how he was waiting for her to respond, she sighed in defeat. "Miyako Gotokuji."

"Miyako, huh?"

She nodded in response, clenching her fists in an act of anxiety.

Boomer grabbed one of her fists, unclenched it with one of his own hands, kissed the back of her hand, and finally looked at her. "Well, then, it's nice to meet you, Miyako."


	4. The King of Assholes

As soon as Kaoru opened her eyes, she realized that all she saw was darkness. She blinked a few times, adjusting her eyesight to the darkness, yet she still saw nothing.

"The hell?" Kaoru muttered, and just as soon as she tried to sit up, she banged her head against what seemed to be the ceiling. " _Ow!_ Fuck!"

Kaoru heard chuckling in the direction in front of her. She kicked open whatever was in front of her without hesitating, and light instantly poured through.

The first thing her eyes laid on was a teenaged boy who looked like he was about her age.

He adorned a dark green long-sleeved V-neck shirt layered on a light green long-sleeved shirt underneath, black jeans, and white sneakers. The top of the light green shirt's collar popped upward, emphasizing his neck, Adam's apple, and collarbone. His light olive skin contrasted against his black spiky hair, attire, and dark green eyes.

His appearance practically screamed "bad boy," and it was enough to make her frown.

Kaoru's eyes widened when she realized that Momoko and Miyako were _nowhere_ to be seen. She stepped out of the closet that she was apparently in and took out her cell phone, and her frown deepened when she saw that there was no signal. She tried to hold up her phone, hoping that'd at least get her one bar of reception, but even then, that didn't change.

"It's pointless."

Kaoru looked at the dark green-eyed guy, who was narrowing his eyes at her. She didn't bother to reply before she coolly looked away and continued to check if there was a signal.

"God, why _you?_ " he groaned.

Kaoru raised an eyebrow at this as she gave up checking for a signal and brought her phone back down. She heard him grumble a few words under his breath, but she ignored him as she checked her phone.

No signal. No messages. No calls. Nothing.

Kaoru pursed her lips, her worry for Momoko and Miyako already growing. "Shit."

"I told you it was pointless, didn't I?"

She glared at him. "The hell you mean by that?"

"I meant what I meant," he replied dryly, rolling his eyes before he kicked a piece of plywood to the side. "There's no fucking signal in this damn place."

Kaoru's eyes widened. No signal meant…she couldn't get in contact with Momoko and Miyako at all. Within seconds, Kaoru scowled. " _Shit!_ "

"Hey, you mind shutting the hell up?" he snapped.

"What—"

Before she knew it, he covered her mouth and harshly whispered, "Look, I just got chased into this freaking room, so unless you want—"

_Groan._

" _Shit._ "

A muffled cry came from Kaoru's mouth. Just what the hell was going on?! Before she knew it, he shoved her inside the closet, and before she could protest, he quickly jumped into the closet with her and closed its doors, leaving only a small crack open for light seep through.

"If you value your damn life, then shut the fuck up," he whispered.

Kaoru glared, and she whispered, "Just what the hell is going on?"

He shushed her just before the creaking sound of the door opening was heard.

_Slush. Slush._

_Grooooooooan._

Kaoru felt goosebumps creep onto her skin. Just what the hell was outside the closet door?

It was then she realized that this guy was _way_ too close to her. He was up in her _freaking personal space_ , especially because the closet wasn't that large. If anything, it very much felt like he had her pinned against the damn wall!

Kaoru couldn't even continue her angry thoughts because just then, the groaning and slushing got louder.

Kaoru held her breath.

Just what exactly was outside the fucking door?!

The slush and groans were heard one last time before the sound of the door closing echoed throughout the room. She could hear the slushing fade away into the distance, and when it was quiet, she finally let out her breath before she analyzed the situation.

He still had her somewhat pinned against the wall with the way they were currently positioned, and quite frankly, she was getting peeved.

She glared at him as he stared back at her, and a part of her wondered why he looked at her in confusion. "Hey, get out already, fucker."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "You smell weird."

Kaoru raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"Are you wearing anything? Because you smell like spice."

Kaoru furrowed her brow in confusion, staring at him for a few seconds as she contemplated kicking his ass out the door, but she realized that wasn't a good idea—especially after whatever she had heard. "No, I'm not. So, how about getting out _now?_ "

He frowned before he did his best to leave the closet without tripping.

As soon as she left the closet, she looked around the room to figure out her surroundings again.

Shit, why didn't she notice this sooner? She wasn't in the living room. If anything, it looked like she was in some abandoned house.

The green wooden flooring had cracks in most parts of the room, and the yellow paint was peeling off the walls, revealing an ugly shade of brown underneath. The only other furniture in the room other than the closet was a small bookcase, a chair, and a large dark green carpet that was spread across the floor.

"Hey."

Kaoru's attention went to the guy.

"You're not one of those effeminate guys, are you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What?" Kaoru asked in shock, her eyes widening.

He sighed. "You know what? Never mind, man."

Kaoru pursed her lips. He thought that she was a _guy_ —not that she could blame him, given her appearance and attitude. She had been so used to people mistaking her as a dude at first glance since middle school. With puberty kicking in over the years, it became difficult to hide _certain_ assets of hers, but she made do with wearing attire that hid her figure well.

Kaoru glanced around the room once more and muttered out loud, "Where the hell am I?"

"A room. _Duh._ "

Kaoru glared at him. "Fuck off. I wasn't asking you."

"Hey, you asked that question yourself, jackass," he replied dryly.

"And I said I wasn't asking you."

He stared at Kaoru for a few seconds. "How did you get here?"

Kaoru shrugged.

He frowned. "The fuck you mean by that?"

Kaoru narrowed her eyes. "I don't need to explain myself to you."

"If you fucking knew where you were, you wouldn't have raised your voice so damn easily like earlier." He paused. "How long have you been here?"

Kaoru shrugged again.

"You come here with anyone?"

Kaoru narrowed her eyes even more at him. "You're asking a lot of fucking questions."

"I'm only asking because I'm separated from my brothers."

"Brothers?" she asked, her surprised tone coming through.

"Yeah. We're triplets."

"Identical?"

"Fraternal." He paused. "Look who's asking a shitload of questions now."

Kaoru frowned as she decided to ignore that comment. "So, you came here with them."

"Obviously. Didn't I just say so, Sherlock?"

Kaoru frowned even more. Okay, _now_ , she felt like punching him.

"And you?"

She blinked in surprise a few times. "What?"

"Who did you come here with?" He paused. "Actually, why did you bother coming to this place, anyway?"

"Last time I checked, I was in the fucking living room," Kaoru replied before she narrowed her eyes at him. "Wait, are _you_ why—"

"Hey, hey, hey, calm the fuck down," he replied as he raised his hands up lazily in defense. "I got nothing to do with how you came here. All I fucking know is that I was running away from that monster and came into this room to hide. Next thing I knew, I heard you in the closet."

Kaoru continued glaring at him. "And I heard you _laughing_."

"Well, _duh._ You hit your fucking head, didn't you?" He grinned before snickering. "Fuck, you must be stupid or something."

"For the record, I have no idea how I ended up in there, _asshole_ ," Kaoru growled.

"Yeah, yeah, I don't really give a damn," he replied before he paused. "Oh, yeah, you didn't tell me who you came here with."

Kaoru narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

"I was just asking," he replied before frowning. "A guy can't ask?"

Kaoru stared at him, analyzing his body language to see if he had any ulterior motives, and after a few seconds, she sighed in defeat. "Yeah. Two friends of mine."

"Close friends?"

"Yeah. Best friends since we were kids."

"Oh, so childhood friends."

"I guess, if you want to put it that way."

"Are they both girls?" he asked, and Kaoru couldn't help but glare at him when she saw a grin appear on his face. "I figured as much. Which one's your favorite? You into either of them? Or are you already hooking up with them both?"

"I don't do that kind of shit," Kaoru interrupted as she narrowed her eyes.

He snickered for a few seconds, but he calmed down when he saw that Kaoru was actually serious. "You're shitting me."

"No, I'm not."

"Well, fuck. They're both cute, aren't they?"

"Yeah," Kaoru replied without thinking because, quite frankly, she knew very much how attractive Momoko and Miyako were. "One of them is popular with all the guys at school. The other one is cute, too, but not many guys are attracted to her in that way."

"And you're not into _either_ of them?"

"Yeah, so? They're my _friends._ "

He blinked and stared at her in surprise for a few seconds. "So, you've _never_ fucked anyone—like, at _all._ "

Kaoru glared at him, hating his invasive questions. "Yeah, and?"

"Well, shit, man, you're _really_ missing out. I'm even willing to bet that both of your friends are nice pieces of—"

"Talk about my friends like that again, and you'll regret it, asshole," Kaoru snapped, her glare in full force. "So, just shut the hell up, and keep your damn dick in your fucking pants."

"Why would I have it out now? No girl in sight, after all."

Kaoru resisted the urge to groan. Great. She was stuck with one of _those_ guys. Seriously?

"Hey, describe them to me."

"Fuck no."

"You said yourself that they're cute, right? Then, maybe when we get out of here—"

"Just shut up and tell me where I am, you fucker," Kaoru interrupted. This guy was seriously getting on her nerves. She wasn't the type of person to reveal her gender unless she felt that it was necessary, but now, she could see that telling him that she was actually a girl was _definitely_ not a good idea. The last thing she needed was a guy after her own "piece of ass."

"Sheesh. You're not one of those uptight dudes, are you? Because you sure as hell don't look like it."

Kaoru let out an exasperated groan. "Just tell me where we fucking are."

"In a room."

"Yeah, no shit, Sherlock. I meant where we are _in general_."

He shrugged. "All I know is that we're in one of the three places of this mansion."

Kaoru blinked. "Three?"

"Yeah, I actually checked out most of this place already. My brothers aren't anywhere near here, so I'm guessing they're in one of the other two places. Maybe they're separated from each other as well. I don't fucking know." He shrugged again and paused. "I can't leave this place either. Tried a few times, but failed. Fucking monster keeps patrolling the damn halls, too."

Kaoru stared at him, watching for any signs of hesitation whatsoever.

Nothing.

She stared at him some more.

"What?" he asked.

"You're serious about there being three places?"

He nodded.

She still watched him for any sort of hesitation or any hint of some lie, but nothing. "And we're in one of them."

"That's what I said, didn't I?"

"And you're not shitting me?"

"Cross my heart, and hope to die," he replied before grinning and making an "X" over the left side of his chest.

Kaoru stared at him some more before she sighed. "Shit. You sure you've tried everything?"

"Well, I don't know how long I've been here. All I know is that I searched this place high and low for any hints of leaving, and so far, I haven't found any."

Kaoru frowned. "Then, let's get going."

"Hey, hey, hey, no need to rush."

Kaoru glared at him. "I need to find—"

"Yeah, your friends, and I need to find my brothers, but I told you already, didn't I?"

Kaoru raised an eyebrow.

"The monster?" he deadpanned.

"There's no such thing as monsters," Kaoru replied as she rolled her eyes.

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yeah."

He stared at her, and before she knew it, he was directly in front of her. The fuck? Was he seriously this fast? If so, then it was no wonder he was able to outrun that so-called "monster."

He frowned once more, and she heard him mutter, "Spice."

Kaoru frowned as well. "Man, whatever it is you're smelling, I don't have that on me. And could you cut it out? It's creepy as hell."

His frown deepened, and he furrowed his brow as he gave her a once-over. "You really don't believe me about the monster, do you?"

"Does it look like I give a fuck?" Kaoru retorted as she narrowed her eyes.

"Well, considering how you seemed pretty scared in the closet, yeah, I'm saying you _do_ give a fuck."

Kaoru scoffed.

He grinned slightly. "You're such a fucking pussy."

Kaoru glared at him. "You little—"

"Still don't believe me about monsters?" He leaned in, emphasizing just how taller he was than Kaoru. "You'll see soon enough."

"All of that shit is fiction."

"And all of that fiction shit starts _somewhere_ , doesn't it?"

Kaoru groaned as she backed away from him. "Forget this." She headed towards the doorway and reached for the doorknob.

_Slush. Slush._

_Grooooooooan._

Kaoru's eyes widened as she froze.

"See what I mean?" she heard him whisper in his ear.

She jumped, quickly moving to the side, and had her back against the wall before glaring at him.

"If you leave this room, then that thing's going to get you, and I'm not going to go save your ass."

"Don't need you to," Kaoru growled. "I can handle whatever's out there myself."

"Really? Seems more like you're actually scared."

"I am _not_ scared."

He chuckled softly before whispering, "The fear's _screaming_ in your fucking eyes. It's showing how much of a pussy you are."

Kaoru glared at him. There was no such thing as monsters, but those sounds… She refused to believe it. No. She didn't believe it, _period._

He sneered. "So, Mr. Pussy, what's your name?"

Her glare grew at the nickname he gave her. "Kaoru Matsubara. And you, Mr. Fucker?"

He smirked in amusement at her attempt at a nickname for him. "Name's Butch."


	5. Dried Red Bloodstain

Brick and Momoko entered the room, and Momoko couldn't help but stare at the furniture from the doorway. In the room, there were two large futons, a large cream-colored carpet, a unique cabinet that had books laying inside, and a very small closet.

Momoko went to examine the cabinet, curious as to what else could've been inside—until she heard a click. She whirled her head around, and when she saw that Brick was locking the door, her eyes widened. "What are you doing?"

Brick raised an eyebrow at her, and he replied dryly, "Locking the door."

"I know that, but why would you—"

"For precaution," Brick interrupted.

Momoko blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't know about you, but I'm not keen on the idea of that _thing_ coming into this room while we're here."

"But, it's down in the library."

"I'm still not taking any chances," Brick replied with a scowl, and when Momoko tried to open her mouth to respond, he cut her off with a glare.

Momoko grumbled softly to herself as she went back to staring at the books in the cabinet. His attitude completely irritated her, and honestly, Momoko was tempted to snap at him.

She let out a sigh and tried tugging at the cabinet's handles, but the cabinet wouldn't budge open. Momoko raised an eyebrow at this. Perhaps it was locked?

She then went over to the closet and tried tugging it open as well, but just like the cabinet, the closet didn't open either. Momoko studied both sets of furniture, but neither of the two seemed to have a keyhole in sight anywhere. When she finally gave up, she let out a sigh and glanced at Brick from the corner of her eyes.

Brick was now examining the area around the first futon. He bent down and lifted the futon up to see if anything was hidden underneath. He even checked underneath the pillow and went as far as to check underneath the cream-colored carpet.

Momoko couldn't help but think about what he just said. Locking the door just now seemed pretty logical. If that monster did manage to escape, then locking the door would make it so it wouldn't be able to enter.

She blinked.

Wait just a minute…

If the monster _did_ escape, then wouldn't that mean locking the door would be pointless? After all, that would mean it escaped a _locked room!_

As soon as Momoko thought this, she could feel her face paling and her fear immediately building up. She began to think about the monster, trying to make sense of a _blob_ turning into something with _two legs_ , and she couldn't help but mutter, "Just what was that thing, anyway?"

"What was that, Akatsutsumi?"

Momoko flinched. "H-Huh? What?"

Brick raised an eyebrow at her. He was now surveying a wall to see if there was anything out of the ordinary. "You said something just now."

Momoko blinked. "Oh! Um, no, it's nothing."

Brick frowned, but he didn't question her further and went back to examining the next wall.

Momoko let out a sigh. She really shouldn't try to act like a total idiot around this guy. She didn't need another person criticizing everything about her. After all, she already had Natsuki on her back.

She frowned at this thought. She knew that Kaoru had a point when she said that Natsuki was a jerk, but that was because she had rarely seen Natsuki's sweet side.

Momoko had seen that side numerous times when it came to younger kids or small animals—just never to _her._ She could recall when she caught Natsuki talking to an abandoned puppy in the rain before bringing it home. Sure, it was cliché, but with how he was at school, she didn't expect such soft sweet whispers—much less a genuine smile.

From there, it was when she started liking him, even if it was from a distance away. She explained how she started to like Natsuki to both Miyako and Kaoru, but Kaoru would always question why Momoko continued to like someone who treated her badly on numerous occasions.

Momoko knew he was a jerk. She knew that. Natsuki often criticized her for being such a "child" for liking manga, anime, and whatnot in school, and it wasn't long before she got called a "geek" by some of the girls.

She questioned why she bothered to continue to like Natsuki multiple times. There were times when his criticism went over the line, even though she knew that he secretly liked the same things she did.

Honestly, his hypocritical nature irritated her.

"Whatever," Momoko muttered out loud.

"You really need to stop talking to yourself and zoning out."

Momoko flinched at the voice, and she turned her head.

Brick was standing right beside her, and he raised an eyebrow. "Did you find anything here?"

Momoko shook her head. "The only thing I found here is that they don't open." She pointed to the closet and cabinet and paused. "Which is weird because they don't have keyholes."

"Never mind about that. I found an opening."

Momoko raised an eyebrow at Brick. "Opening?"

Brick then headed to the second futon, and when he moved it aside, there was an opening large enough for a person to fit through.

Momoko's eyes widened, and she studied the opening. It was in the shape of a clean-cut square. She blinked before muttering, "It looks like this was purposely made."

"Oh, so you noticed that detail, huh?"

Momoko narrowed her eyes at Brick.

Brick, of course, paid no heed to her, and he immediately jumped through the opening.

"H-Hey!" Momoko exclaimed. She then heard a small thud, and her eyes widened. "Oh, God, are you okay?!"

"Stop screaming, Akatsutsumi. I'm perfectly fine."

"You just _jumped down!_ How in the world can you be perfectly fine?!"

She heard Brick let out an exasperated sigh. " _Anyway_ , it's your turn to jump down."

Momoko's eyes widened. " _What?!_ "

"You heard me."

Momoko began to stammer before she finally managed to say, "B-But what if I hurt myself?!"

She could've sworn she heard Brick swear under his breath before he said in an annoyed tone, "Just jump down already. I'll catch you, so don't worry."

Momoko hesitated.

"I'm leaving you if you don't jump," she heard him deadpan.

"Okay, okay!" Momoko replied before jumping through the opening. She waited for the impact, but it never came, so she assumed that she somehow landed safely.

"You can open your eyes now, you know."

Momoko did as she was told, and she realized then that she _did_ land safely, like she assumed— _right into Brick's arms_. Her eyes widened, and she felt her cheeks flush. She then quickly cleared her throat and stood on her feet before muttering, "Thank you."

Brick grunted in response.

Momoko looked around the room, and she saw that the room they were in was white. There was a white set of drawers and two small bookshelves. The books were a variety of colors ranging from green to yellow to blue. The only thing that wasn't of a light or white color, however, was the large black piano in the middle of the room.

Momoko walked closer to the piano, and her eyes widened. "Brick…"

Brick sighed. "What?"

"C-Come here…"

Brick complied.

There, on the piano's keys, was none other than a large dried red bloodstain.

Brick's eyes widened slightly. He blinked a few times before narrowing his eyes.

"Do you think maybe that this is someone else's blood?" Momoko asked, gulping softly. "You know, someone who was here before us…" Momoko then shuddered.

Brick shrugged.

"W-Why are you just shrugging?!"

Brick glared at Momoko. "You don't need to scream—"

"There's _blood_ on the _piano!_ "

Brick groaned, and at once, he went to the door.

Momoko's eyes widened. "Wait, don't leave me alone!"

Before Brick could retort, he opened the door, and the two left the room, only to find out that they were on the second floor again.

Momoko blinked. "Did we just go around in a circle?"

"Gee, you think?" Brick retorted sarcastically. "We fell from the third floor. Where else do you think we'd end up?"

Momoko narrowed her eyes as she decided to not retort. " _Anyway_ , what do we do now?"

"How should I know? We don't have any clues except for that bloodstain—" Brick abruptly stopped himself.

Momoko raised an eyebrow at him. "What's wrong?"

Brick then turned around, walked away from her, and headed down the stairs.

"Hey! Brick!" Momoko called out. When he didn't seem to stop, she let out a sigh and followed after him. Soon enough, she managed to catch up to him. "Brick, where are we going?"

"Kitchen," he replied.

"Why?"

He didn't reply.

Momoko frowned, but she didn't say another word, even when they walked past the library and were finally in the living room again. The thoughts she had earlier about the monster escaping a locked room gave her this anxious feeling that it could be behind them right now. She knew that she was being paranoid, but just that thought alone made her shudder.

"Found it."

Momoko turned her head, and she saw that Brick held up a small towel. "Brick, what are you doing?"

"Akatsutsumi, do me a favor."

Momoko frowned when he ignored her question, and she sighed. "Sure."

"You know where the bathroom is?"

Momoko shook her head.

"It's all the way at the end of the hallway."

Momoko's eyes widened. "E-End of the hallway?"

Brick nodded. "Yeah, I need you to go into the bathroom and get—"

"No!"

Brick scowled. "Why not?"

"Something was moving behind one of the doors earlier!"

Brick narrowed his eyes before finally raising an eyebrow. "Just what are you talking about?"

Momoko shuddered once more, her gaze averting to the floor. "Uh, well, before I met you, I went down that hallway, and I saw… _something_ move behind one of the doors." She paused. "I…I don't want to go down that hallway alone. I get this really bad feeling if I split up with you that something could happen. I mean, I'm already separated from my friends."

Momoko waited for Brick to say something to her—maybe a sarcastic retort or mocking comment—but he said nothing. She then glanced at him and wasn't surprised to see that he had a thoughtful expression as he stared at her. He continued to ponder, so she stayed silent.

Brick blinked a few times, breaking his stare at Momoko. "How'd you end up in this mansion, anyway?" He paused before narrowing his eyes. "Don't tell me it was because of a dare."

Momoko hesitated. "Well…"

Brick scoffed. "Figured as much."

"No, no, no, you've got it wrong. It wasn't because of a dare. My friend came here because of a bet she made with one of her guy friends. I don't know what the other conditions of it were, but if she did it, then…" Her voice trailed off.

"Then what?"

"Then he'd go out with me on a date," Momoko mumbled.

"I can't hear you."

Momoko let out a sigh, and she said in a soft voice, "Then the guy would have to go with me on a date."

There was a long pause of silence.

"So, you have a crush on that guy?" Brick asked.

"No! I mean, I like him, but…it's pointless, anyway…" Her eyes slowly wandered to the floor, and Momoko continued to stare at it for a while. She wasn't even aware of the fact that Brick was already standing beside her until she felt his presence.

"What makes you think it's pointless?"

Momoko glanced up at Brick, taking in the large height difference between them. She then averted her gaze again before replying, "Because he likes her." She paused. "My friend doesn't like him, though. She thinks he's a total jerk, even though they're friends." She paused again and said in an even softer voice, "She just hasn't seen his sweet side yet."

"And you have?"

Momoko hesitated before nodding.

There was another long pause of silence.

Momoko cleared her throat, breaking the silence. "Anyway, I came here with my friend because I didn't want her to come into the mansion alone. We had another friend tag along. I mean, I heard all of these rumors about this mansion from school, so…" She shuddered.

"What were the rumors?"

Momoko blinked, completely surprised. "You haven't heard about them?"

Brick shrugged. "I keep more to myself."

"Well, there's a bunch of rumors, but the one I usually heard was that if you went into this mansion, you'd never be heard from again…" Her voice trailed off, and she gave a sheepish laugh. "Well, uh, that's just a rumor, right?"

Brick didn't respond. He stared at her with a stoic expression. Once he saw that Momoko's sheepish grin was still plastered on her face, he slowly raised an eyebrow at her.

Momoko cleared her throat. "Um, anyway, I personally believe that rumors always start somewhere, so…a part of me _does_ want to find out about what's going on with this mansion."

"You seemed pretty scared, though, especially back in the library."

"Why wouldn't I be? I mean, I've seen all these horror films and stuff where people die off one by one after being separated, and it's just…" Momoko shuddered before whispering, "I don't want that to happen to any one of us."

There was another long pause until Brick asked, "So, you got separated from your friends?"

Momoko nodded.

"You remember how?"

"I…actually don't know how." She glanced at Brick again, who raised an eyebrow at her, and she let out a sigh. "Well, my friends and I were here. I was over by the kitchen counter when all of a sudden, the lights went out!"

"It's an old mansion. I'm surprised that there are even lights on in the first place."

"Well, I guess you have a point there. Anyway, when the lights came back on, my friends were nowhere, and I was the only one here…" Momoko paused. "What about you? I mean, here I am, going on about myself when I don't even know how you ended up in this situation, too."

Brick shrugged. "I don't mind. I was the one asking the questions, anyway." He then sighed. "You and I are in the same boat, actually."

Momoko blinked. "You got separated as well?"

"Oh, so you _do_ have a brain."

Momoko narrowed her eyes at him.

Brick ignored the small glare Momoko gave him. "But yeah, I got separated from my brothers."

"Brothers?"

"Yeah."

"Are you the eldest?"

"Yeah, but we're triplets."

Momoko's eyes widened. "T-Triplets?! So, wait, there's three of you?!"

Brick narrowed his eyes, and he replied sarcastically, "Yes, there's three of me running around this mansion." He rolled his eyes. "We're _fraternal_ triplets, genius."

Momoko then averted her gaze, feeling her cheeks grow pink from embarrassment. "Oh. I see."

Brick grunted. "I don't blame you. Usually, when I bring that up, people assume that we're identical right off the bat."

"Sorry…"

"Don't worry about it." Brick paused. "You said that you saw something, right?"

"Yeah, sort of… It was more like a shadow, though. I dropped the plate shard I had earlier, too. It might still be there."

"Plate shard?" Brick asked as his eyebrows furrowed. He then pointed to the shattered plate that was on the floor just meters away from them. "You mean from that?"

Momoko nodded. "I, uh, thought maybe it could come in handy…"

After a long pause of silence, Brick grunted. "All right, let's go. We're wasting time."

"Huh? Oh, right."

They headed down the hallway and, along the way, found the plate shard Momoko mentioned.

Just as Momoko tried to pick it up, Brick stopped her. "Leave it be."

"What? But—"

"We don't need it. Trust me."

Momoko sighed and complied.

At the end of the hallway, Brick reached for one of the doors and opened it. The two entered, and Momoko observed her surroundings. It was a small bathroom, and there were a cupboard and sink. When she walked around the edge, she saw that there was a toilet in the corner.

"So, um, why did you come here, exactly?"

Brick held up the soap he got from the cabinet.

Momoko blinked before her face contorted into a look of confusion.

Brick sighed before he wet the towel in the sink. He then turned off the faucet and looked at her.

Momoko's eyes quickly widened in realization. "You're not thinking of wiping the blood off that piano, are you?!"

"You have any better ideas?" Brick replied, raising an eyebrow.

Momoko frowned as she shook her head.

Brick walked away from her, and Momoko immediately followed. Eventually, they reached the top of the stairs and entered the same room with the piano.

As Brick headed to the piano, Momoko couldn't help but feel that something in the atmosphere was just _wrong._ She watched him begin to put soap on the wet towel and felt her paranoia kick in. "Brick, are you absolutely sure about this?"

"We don't have any other clues on how to advance except this bloodstain, Akatsutsumi."

Momoko sighed as she watched him wipe the dried bloodstain. It took a few attempts until the bloodstain was gone. Left behind on the piano keys were the following numbers: 1-7-6.

"1-7-6?" Momoko asked out loud.

"It could be a code for something," Brick mumbled.

Before Momoko could reply, she glanced at Brick, who already turned around and had his eyes widened. When Momoko whirled her head around, her eyes widened.

The monster had found them.

As it began to change its form, Brick snatched Momoko's arm, and they ran straight towards the door—only for it to shut immediately.

Momoko heard Brick swore under his breath, and she could only stare at the monster as it turned into a humanoid-like creature with large canine teeth. Her fear rose further when it stared at her, and she could've _sworn_ she saw its canine teeth glint in the lighting of the room with its sinister grin.

Momoko managed to snap out of her fear when she heard a large thud from behind her. She turned her head and saw that Brick kicked the door open.

They ran out of the door, and just the monster lunged towards them, Brick slammed the door. They put as much of their strength into keeping the door closed, but the pounding continued again and again until finally, the monster _roared_.

Brick swore under his breath. "Akatsutsumi, run!"

Momoko's eyes widened. "What?!"

"Now's not the time! Just _run!_ "

Before Momoko could respond, the monster roared again as the pounding against the door became violent, and she pressed her back against the door. "Brick, I can't just leave you alone! It's not right!"

"I'll be fine! Just go find a place to hide!" Brick yelled as the roaring became louder. He swore under his breath again.

"But—"

Brick cut her off with a glare. " _Go!_ "

Momoko hesitated, her gaze briefly averting to the floor, and when she looked at him again, Brick gave a firm nod. She nodded back and quickly ran towards the stairs. Just as soon as she heard the roaring and pounding get louder, she was about to run down the stairs when she realized that she couldn't hide down there.

For crying out loud, just which of these rooms had a hiding spot?!

She blinked.

The room where she found the library key in! If she remembered correctly, there was a closet that was big enough for her to hide in!

Without hesitation, she ran into the room that was near the stairs, and just as she remembered, there was a closet. She then slammed the door shut before going straight into the closet. As soon as she closed the closet doors, she heard the roaring and pounding cease.

It became quiet— _way_ too quiet.

Momoko felt the anxiety build up inside of her. Why was the monster there? It didn't make sense! It shouldn't be out and about at all! Did it break through the library door? But then, that wouldn't make sense either! She and Brick would've seen the damage when they went to the kitchen or the bathroom. In fact, they would've at least heard it—unless the walls were _soundproof._

She gulped softly.

No, no, no, that wasn't _possible._ After all, this mansion was old.

She paused in her thoughts.

Wait, just how old _was_ this mansion, anyway?

She frowned as she tried to recall if the age of the mansion was ever mentioned in the rumors.

Momoko's eyes then widened, breaking her thoughts. Just now, she could've _sworn_ she heard the door open.

Was it the monster?

She felt a lump in her throat and goosebumps all over her skin as she anxiously waited for a sign of whoever opened the door.

And it was then she heard a groan—the _monster's_ groan.

Momoko's eyes widened further as she covered her mouth with her hands. She felt her fear growing as she heard the monster come closer to the closet—to _her_ —until it abruptly stopped in front of its doors.

Momoko held her breath. She hoped that it'd just go away and not look into the closet, and she squeezed her eyes shut, afraid of the outcome. It wasn't long until she heard it slowly walk away and leave the room.

As soon as the door shut, Momoko opened her eyes and let out a small sigh of relief, but she didn't want to leave the closet. After all, what if it was right outside the room, still wandering around the halls?

She shuddered before deciding that it was definitely better for her to just stay in the closet.

She waited for a while until she heard the door open again. Her breathing hitched as she wondered if it was the monster again. She couldn't tell last time until it finally groaned, and as she waited for it to groan again, she heard someone clear their throat.

She blinked.

"Akatsutsumi?"

Her eyes widened as she recognized that it was Brick.

"Akatsutsumi, it's me. If you're here, you can come out. The coast is clear."

"I'm in here," Momoko called out softly. She then waited for a bit until Brick opened the closet doors.

"Did it take you a long time to figure out where to hide?" Brick asked.

Momoko, who was still sitting in the closet, let her legs dangle over the edge as she glanced at the floor. "No, not really."

"Is that so?"

Momoko quickly turned her head to look at him, and she gave him a glare. "And just what is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Well, I didn't think you'd figure out a closet was a good hiding place."

Momoko narrowed her eyes.

"I meant it as a compliment."

Momoko scoffed as she looked at the floor again and ranted about Brick's attitude inside of her head. At this rate, he'd beat Natsuki when it came to being a jerk.

"Akatsutsumi!" she heard him call out, but strangely enough, his call sounded like he was a fair distance away from her.

She looked back up, and her eyes widened when she saw that he wasn't in the room anymore. She then ran to the door, and when she peered into the hallway, she saw that he was standing at the corner near the room with the piano.

"Are you coming or not?" Brick asked in an annoyed tone. He raised an eyebrow at her, waiting for a response.

Momoko frowned, narrowed her eye, and scoffed.

Brick rolled his eyes. "Suit yourself."

Momoko's eyes widened when Brick went around the corner. "What?! Wait for me!"

Momoko ran out of the room she was in, down the hallway, and straight into the room with the piano. She then looked at Brick, who was studying the numbers on the piano. His expression was grave, but even then, she couldn't help but frown.

After all, he had no right to insult her intelligence! It wasn't like he was some genius, anyway! But, of course, he paid no heed to her as he continued to study the numbers on the piano.

She let out a small scoff. Since he seemed engrossed in figuring out the meaning of the numbers, she decided to wander around the room. There wasn't much furniture, but she figured she could check out the books on the bookshelves in the corner of the room.

Just as soon as she went over and she tried to pull a book from the left bookshelf, the book was stuck. She blinked a few times in confusion until she tried pulling it again, and suddenly, the bookshelf moved.

"Akatsutsumi!"

Momoko turned her head, and she flinched when she saw that Brick was right next to her. "Uh, yeah?"

"How did you know there was something like this behind the bookshelf?"

Momoko blinked a few times before grinning sheepishly. "Uh, well, I didn't…"

There was a pause.

"And here I thought you were a genius," Brick grumbled dryly.

Momoko narrowed her eyes at him.

"Looks like a safe," Brick said. "I see a combination lock."

Momoko dismissed her annoyance at him as she glanced at the safe. Apparently, they needed four digits to input the combination. She then looked at the patterns near the combination dial.

Four patterns. Four digits.

Momoko stared at the patterns, thinking about what they could mean. She glanced at Brick after realizing that there was a long moment of silence, and her eyes widened when she caught him staring at her, not bothering to look away once they made eye contact.

"What is it?" Momoko asked.

Brick shook his head, glanced at the safe, and then frowned. "I just thought that maybe the numbers on the piano might have a connection to the safe."

Momoko's eyes widened.

"But then again, there are only three numbers. We need four."

Momoko looked at the patterns once more. The first was the last pattern flipped, the third pattern was the first pattern turned 180 degrees, and the second stood alone, different from the rest.

Did that mean something?

1-7-6…

Momoko's eyes widened. "9-7-6-1!"

Brick blinked in surprise.

Momoko blinked a few times when she heard no response, and she turned her head to find Brick staring at her with wide eyes. "W-What?"

Brick stared at Momoko for a minute or two until he finally replied, "Just surprised."

"Huh? Why?"

Brick raised an eyebrow. "You shouted that out of nowhere."

Momoko couldn't help but smile sheepishly. "Oh, right. Um, sorry." She paused as she glanced at the safe. "I'll just put in the combination now…"

Brick made no response.

Momoko tried to ignore Brick's stare once she inputted all four numbers, and her eyes widened once she heard a small click. "It worked!" She opened the safe and frowned when she saw that all that was left in the small safe was another key. She grabbed it before she let out a sigh and grumbled, "Seriously? All of that for just another key?"

"I'm curious."

Momoko blinked, and she looked at Brick. "Curious?"

Brick nodded.

"About what?"

"How was it that you figured out the combination so quickly?"

Momoko couldn't help but grin with pride. "Blown away by how much of a genius I am?"

Brick raised an eyebrow.

Momoko sighed in defeat. "Okay, to be honest, I wasn't sure if it was _really_ 9-7-6-1…"

"Continue."

Momoko frowned. "Well, actually, I came up with a few possible combinations in my head as well. But some of them didn't use either 6, 7, or 1, so I ended up discarding them. Eventually, I just decided to go through a process of flipping and turning the numbers—"

"Wait," Brick interrupted as he furrowed his brow. "Flipping? Turning?"

"Yeah." Momoko pointed to the patterns on the safe. "See the patterns? It's a code to represent the combination." She pointed to the second pattern. "See how this is the odd one out, while the others are related?"

Brick nodded.

"And look at the safe combination. The highest number it can go up to is 9, and the lowest number it can go down to is 0." Momoko paused, and she glanced at Brick.

Brick raised an eyebrow.

Momoko smiled. "You know how if five is turned around, it becomes two? And how if six is turned around, it becomes nine?"

Brick nodded.

"Yeah, well, I figured that based on the other patterns, 7 must be the second number because if it's turned around, it doesn't make a number. Both 1 and 6 do, so those two must go in one of the other spots. The issue here was that I wasn't sure where 1 or 6 would go at first because of 1. If 1's turned or flipped, then it'll still be 1, so really, the combination could've been 1-7-6-1. I thought maybe that was the combination until I realized something."

"Which is?"

"Well, say 6 was still the last pattern. Would a flipped 6 make a number?"

Brick shook his head.

Momoko smiled. " _Exactly._ That's why 6 has no choice but to be the third pattern. Now, let's say that the last pattern and the third pattern were related. If 6 was turned around _and_ flipped, would it make a number?" Momoko paused to add emphasis as the smile on her face grew. "No, it doesn't. And where does that lead?" She pointed to both the first and the third patterns with her index finger and her pinky finger. "It means that these two patterns are related to each other because 6 turned around forms a 9. Now, what about the last pattern? Well, let's say that 9 does fit into the first pattern. Would a flipped 9 make a number? No, it wouldn't, so what does that leave?"

"1," Brick answered.

Momoko couldn't help but break out in a huge grin. "And thus, I got 9-7-6-1."

Brick stared at Momoko for a few seconds. "How was it that you figured this out so quickly, though?"

Momoko blinked in surprise. "Huh? You mean people don't normally figure something like this out quickly?" She paused, realizing that she had done it _again_ , and felt the urge to explain _._ "Uh, I guess it's because of all the anime I watch, the manga I read, and the video games I play."

Brick raised an eyebrow at her.

Momoko smiled sheepishly. "Oh, um, I guess I never mentioned it, huh? I'm _really_ into anime and manga. Video games are a plus, I guess, but I'm not really into them. Remember that friend I mentioned earlier?"

"The one whose guy friend made a bet with her to come here?" Brick asked.

Momoko nodded. "Yeah, her. She's more of a gamer than me, and by that, I mean an _actual_ hardcore gamer. But anyway, I'm into a lot of genres of anime and manga. When I was younger, I was really into shoujo and romance—and don't get me wrong, I still like them—but nowadays, I'm more into puzzles or mysteries. When it comes to puzzles like these"—she gestured to the safe—"I start thinking about my video games. So, from there, I just approach it the way I normally would in video games. I mean, one of my favorites is the Professor Layton game series, so I guess that's probably why."

"Professor Layton?"

"Oh, I guess you never heard about it. It's basically a puzzle adventure game series."

Brick nodded slowly, but he still continued to stare at Momoko.

Momoko noticed the stare, and she frowned. "Uh, is something wrong?"

After a minute or so, Brick gave an amused smirk.

Momoko's eyes grew wide in surprise.

Brick stepped closer to her, and before Momoko could say anything, he directly stared into her eyes. As they stared, his face got closer towards her until it was finally just an inch away.

After her brain finally registered that their proximity, her instincts told her to step back, and she was about to—until his smirk grew, and Momoko could've _sworn_ she saw his eyes darken for a second.

She tried to say something, but nothing came out. As soon as he let out a small laugh, she felt her cheeks grow warm from the feeling of his breath on her lips.

"All right, Akatsutsumi," Brick whispered. "I'll give you credit for figuring this puzzle out. But…don't let it get to your head." With that amused smirk still on his face, he pulled away and headed towards the doorway.

After a few seconds, Momoko managed to recover from the shock. "Brick, wait! Wait for me!"

As soon as she caught up to him, she stared at his back, and a part of her couldn't help but wonder if it was just her imagination when his eyes darkened earlier.


End file.
